Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Submitted on LoveWhatMatters website by Aimee Boyle Mcilroy

I’d like to send a huge shout out to Valerie, a manager at Home Depot. I came in tonight to pick up a refrigerator box that she was holding for me. We’re using the box to make my son’s wheelchair into a police car for Halloween. I first knew Valerie was awesome when she got down on the floor to cut the box down for me. She had beautiful nails and I told her that they weren’t meant for a box cutter, and she said that her vest meant that she was made for whatever I needed!

After getting the box loaded, Valerie helped us brainstorm and find the other items we would need. We trekked all over that store with our Creative Genius. Then, she took us to the checkout and PAID FOR EVERYTHING HERSELF! I tried to refuse, but she just said that it would bless her greatly. My son may not have understood anything other than she was kind and patient with him, but this special needs mama really, really appreciated this huge act of kindness. The biggest blessing for me was the way she treated my son and the way he responded to her.

Thanks to Valerie, Home Depot is also now bringing their Saturday kit workshops into my son's school. There are 2 special needs classrooms in his school and they’re bringing enough kits for both classes. They’re going to pre-make the kits and then have a little mini-workshop in Jack’s classroom. This way, our special kiddos can participate in an accessible and sensory friendly environment! Valerie said it had been on her heart the last couple of months to get more special needs kids into the workshops and after I chatted about why it was so difficult, she said, 'Well, then we’ll just bring the workshop to you!'

I think one of the most important things that special needs parents need to understand is that it’s OK to let other people in. Sometimes it’s hard to accept help; but when you do refuse help, you stand in the way of letting other people bless you and in turn that blesses them. The relationship that has come out of this experience has been one of the best blessings! Thank you, Valerie, so much!!"